Project Accomplishments:
Infrastructure:
The Nevada Action Coalition (NAC) focused on strengthening itself through partnerships and the development of a statewide strategic plan. The group identified subject matter experts and champions in regions across the state to increase awareness of its work and of the Future of Nursing: Campaign for Action. The Action Coalition developed a mission statement, bylaws, a strategic plan, and obtained tax exempt 501(c)(3) status. It established a structure of committees to focus on the Institute of Medicine Future of Nursing report and recommendations and completed the following:
- Marketing and Communications: worked to update the website and create ads and research products for distribution.
- Scope of Practice: updated infographic to reflect progress in efforts to modernize scope of practice laws for advanced practice registered nurses. Succession Planning: obtained statewide data and produced a white paper that was distributed to Action Coalition membership.
- Transition into Practice: collected data from acute care and long-term care facilities to review hiring practices for new graduates and the content of orientation and residency programs.
- Data: worked with the state Board of Registration in Nursing to establish a minimum data set to collect ongoing data on nursing workforce; conducted a survey of RN-to-BSN nursing programs in the state to assess the number of BSN nurses in Nevada; and collaborated on a report entitled the Registered Nurse Workforce in Nevada, published in 2014.
- Diversity Taskforce: brought together 12 diverse organizations representing nursing and other health care providers to establish a calendar of events that introduces minority elementary, middle, and high school students to health care careers.
The outcomes of this collaboration and updated infrastructure resulted in a series of programs and reports including:
- Operation Healthcare Bound Project: introduced 50 minority and economically disadvantaged high school students to healthcare organizations and careers by taking them for a day-long event at a U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs hospital.
- Teddy Bear Clinic: a program for 2nd graders to learn about nursing as a career by taking stuffed animals through an assessment and care plan provided by nurses.
- RN Bound: a four-day summer camp program that introduces students in grades 9-12 to the roles of nursing through lectures, interactive class activities, skill labs, and job shadowing.
- Specialty Nurse Organization Collaboration: established ongoing quarterly meetings of chairs of specialty nursing organizations.
- Quality Care Survey of Registered Nurses: developed a survey of registered nurses working in acute care hospitals across the state.
- Las Vegas Root Garden: a collaboration with student nurse organizations to help residents in a food scarcity area grow and pick fruits and vegetables.
Resources: